Paint striper



A. RUSSELL PAINT STRIPER Sept. 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15,1960 INVEN OR Wfw Sept. 11, 1962 A. RUSSELL 3,052,909

PAINT STRIPER Filed June 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORL W KM3,052,909 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 fiice 3,052,909 PAINT STRIPER AlbertRusseli, Phoenix, Ariz. Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,627 1 Claim.(Q1. 15-503) This invention pertains to paint stripers.

Stripers of the type herein concerned are for use in painting stripes orbands of varying width on surfaces such as tennis courts, streetpavement, parking lots, floors of gymnasiums and the like. It is to beunderstood that the painting of the stripes is done rapidly andaccurately and due to the fact that considerable area is coveredrapidly, paint must be supplied in considerable quantity.

The device here concerned is intended to roll over the surfaces to bepainted which are for the most part horizontal.

In view of the foregoing, one of the objects of my invention is toprovide a paint striper having a wheeled carriage which will carry aconsiderable quantity of paint in a closed container and which will rollover the work to be painted in a rapid and accurate manner and applypaint in the form of a ribbon or strip in a smooth and even manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paint striper which willapply the paint stripe in an even and smooth manner without depositingexcess paint or wasting it.

Still another object is to provide a paint striper of the type mentionedwherein the parts supplying the paint are adequate to supply thequantity required and to not clog up or retain paint after use in amanner so as to permit it to harden and render the device inoperativewhen use is again required.

Still another object is to provide a device wherein the paint will bedistributed evenly throughout the working period required and will beavailable at all times in the quantity require-cl; said paint supplyingmeans supported on said carriage having means for feeding paint bydefinite air pressure and not being dependent on gravity for its feedflow.

Still another object is to provide a mechanism on the paint carriagewhich will permit the user to observe the line where the paint is beingapplied; the parts being arranged to render the painting operationvisible at all times during operation.

Still another object is to provide a subframe which is pivotallyattached to a frame of the carriage which will cause and permit thebrushing mechanism to follow the contour of the surface over which thecarriage runs independently of the vertical position of the carriagewheels on such surface. The painting striping means is therefore pivotedindependently of the body of the carriage to permit the striping meansto accommodate itself to variations such as humps and depressions in thesurface to which the paint is applied and in this way produce acontinuous stripe without the need of retouching in certain places wherethe brush does not contact the surface.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the devices, parts, andcombinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of my paint striping mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation thereof as viewed from the rear;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the carriage mechanism drawn on an enlargedscale, and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the carriage mechanism drawn onan enlarged scale and with portions thereof shown in section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

The carriage 2 consists of a rectangular frame 3 supported at the frontby wheels 4 and 5 which are journalled on an axle 6. A guide handle 7extends upwardly and rearwardly from approximately the center of thecasing 8 which surrounds axle 6. From the frame 3 there are two upwardlyand forwardly angularly extending brackets 10 and 12. These bracketshave arcuate support to hold paint tank 16.

As shown, this tank is of the closed pressure feed type and has a screwtop which contains a pressure pump 21.

From pressure tank 16 paint is delivered through flexible tubing 23 to anozzle 24. The nozzle 24 is provided with a feed valve 25 and issomewhat pivotally supported on a flat spring 26 which is attached at 27to a back cross member 28 of the rectangular frame 29. This frame issupported as aforesaid on wheels 4 and 5 and at the flout on axle 6running transversely through the frame. It is supported at the rear bysmaller wheels 30 and 31 which are journalled on an axle 32 at the rearof the frame.

The frame, being an open rectangular member, has a subframe 35, which isalso an open rectangular frame, contained within it. This subframe ispivoted at the rear on wheel axle 6 and is held in place by suitablesprings, such as spiral springs 37 on axle 6. There are stops 38 toprevent excessive movement of the subframe 35. It may be understood thatthe subframe is also the brush carrying frame. In FIGURE 5, note thatthe front transverse member 40 of the subframe has a brush 41 attachedby means of a thumb screw 42. The rear transverse member 43 of thesubframe joins the two horizontal members 44.

This structure permits the subframe to pivot on axle 6 which is at itsrear and permits its front end a to move up and down within the mainframe 29. The main frame is composed of a rear transverse member 28 anda forward transverse member 28a, both of which join the ends of thelongitudinal extending side members 29a and 29b.

The flow of paint through valve 25 is controlled by a control Wire,marked 56, which is connected to the rotary valve plug. A spring 19pormally holds the valve plug in closed position. It is to be observedthat the paint flows from the nozzle 24 of the valve 25 and this flow isthen spread and rolled by the bristles 52 of brush 50. The body of themachine is positioned forward in the direction indicated by arrow 48during this process. A guide wire 18 may be used to indicate and alignthe movement of the machine with the stripe being produced by the brush50.

In use the tank 16 is filled with properly prepared paint. The valve 25is opened so that the paint drips onto the surface 47 to be painted. Thecarriage is then pushed in the direction of arrow 48, FIGURE 5, so thatthe paint, after it is deposited on the surface 47, is brushed over bythe brush bristles 50 which are contained in the brush 41 on subframe35.

The bristles draw up some of the paint by capillary action and at thesame time roll some of it at 52 over the surface 47. This roll extendsonly so far as the width of the bristles 50 in ordinarily correctoperation. Unless paint is dropped by nozzle '24 in great excess, thestripe will extend only so far as the edges 53 of the bristles 50. Thebristles tend to gather, mix and apply the paint to the surface 47 andproduce the smooth even stripe as desired. Excess paint whenever it isapplied is shut off by a partial closing of valve 25, as effectedthrough means of the wire rod 56 which extends up the handle 7 to thegrip 58 and may be operated by the lever 59.

I have found that the most practical way to obtain 3 the'best results isto drop the paint directly onto the surface 47, as above described, andin line with the bristles 50. The paint must contact the surface 47 adistance ahead of the bristles. This provides a much better action thanwhere it is attempted to feed the paint to the brush by dropping itonto, through or in between the bristles. Thus, in operation paint isapplied to the themselves. surface 47 to be striped directly in line andahead of the brush 50 which follows up and smooths the paint andadequately applies it by working it into the surface 47 so that allpants of'the paint adequately adhere thereto.

At the termination of any one operation, the lever 59 is operated toshut olf'the flow of paint and the device is moved to a new location andthe paint flow again started. It is to be understood that the paintshould not flow unless there is forward motion. The combination of theflow of paint onto the surface 47, to be striped, together with theimmediate brushing, produce a smooth, even stripe or line which willadhere to any surfaces ordinarily encountered.

I claim:

A paint striper, having a rectangular frame body ineluding side membersand front and back cross members, a forward transverse wheel axle at thefront of said frame, wheels journalled on the ends of said axle, a reartransverse aXle at the rear of said frame, wheels journalled at the endsof said rear axle, a rectangular sub-frame having a front end and a rearend, pivotally supported within and to one side of the longitudinalcenter of said frame; one end of said sub-frame being pivoted on saidforward tnansverse wheel axle; resilient means for supporting the rearend portion of said sub-frame within said frame, a striping brush havinglong flexible rearwardly, angularly directed bristles, adapted to flow,spread and direct paint centrally supported on the rear portion of saidsub-frame, a paint applying nozzle on the forward end of said framedisposed a substantial distance from and in aligned relation relative tosaid striping brush directed to apply paint to the surface to be marked,a paint container attached to said frame having a paint supply pipeconnected to said nozzle, a paint flow control valve in said paintsupply pipe adjacent said nozzle, a push and guide handle attached tosaid frame and extending upwardly :and rearwardly from said frame, apaint supply control mechanism supported on said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,548,383 Pickersgill Aug. 4, 1925 1,818,916 Wasen Aug. 11, 19312,116,407 Nissly May 3, 1938 2,566,624 Myers Sept, 4, 1951

